Curriculum Materials Learning Journey
Changing Seasons: Ice
Learning Journey
Changing seasons: Ice
Tamar Richards Lancing College Preparatory School at Worthing, UK
Changing seasons: Ice Tamar Richards
Setting the Scene Focus The focus of this project was on developing children’s questioning and curiosity and providing the opportunity to develop thinking skills. Rationale Through my planning and teaching I wanted to foster questioning and curiosity by • modelling and promoting questions in the
nursery • standing back more whilst the children were
investigating allowing them to develop thinking skills.
Age: 3-4 Learning activities: Questioning, gathering evidence Creative dispositions: Thinking skills, curiosity Synergies: Questioning and Curiosity, Teacher scaffolding and involvement (standing back) Contextual factors : Investigations: Group work
Background School setting: Free Flow Nursery Curriculum links: EYFS-Development Matters, Characteristics of Effective Learning. • Playing and Exploring • Active Learning • Creating and thinking
critically • Question why things happen
and give explanations. Asks e.g. who, what, when, how
Overview of Learning journey
Starting point: Through my planning and teaching I wanted to foster questioning and
curiosity by modelling and promoting questions in the
nursery and standing back more
Learning activity 1:
Exploring ice Talking about weather
changing had prompted children to begin to talk
about ice and snow. Exploring how to freeze
water and make ice. Placing various small toys
inside the ice and see what happened.
Learning activity 2:
Building igloos Children were asked if
they could make their own Igloos from ice.
Learning activity 3: Freezing materials
What else can we freeze? A selection of materials from
the messy play box were put out and the children
decided what they wanted to freeze.
Learning activity 4:
The Results Exploring the results and melting the materials. We collected the
trays from the freezer and investigated what we found.
Seeing if and how we could turn it back to its original state.
Questions continued Children were far more motivated and curious.
Standing back more and modelling had started to
allow them to ask their own questions
Some of the children who were more reluctant on
previous tasks were more willing to join in and were internally questioning by
trying different methods to build with the ice.
Children were highly motivated and engaged. Questioning each other. They were able to work
together thinking of new ideas and sharing ideas and knowledge with each other
Children were not used to being the ones to ask the questions and had
no concept of questioning verbally.
I introduced the question board
Children were clearly able to
think about which materials
might freeze more effectively ,
even selecting and asking for resources that
were not provided
By this point children needed far less adult suggestion and were asking questions of
each other. They were also sharing their own
knowledge and working out solutions
as a group.
Developing the learning journey: Starting point Developing the children's questioning skills.
Activities
• During group times we started to promote questioning by encouraging children to ask questions of each other during show and tell.
• In the first few weeks the adult modeled the questions for the children
• Each time a question was asked it was placed on the question board.
Child: Why is it special?
The children were not used to being
the ones to ask the questions and had no concept of
questioning verbally
The more we celebrated
questions in the nursery the more able the children were to question
verbally
Child: Where did you get it from?
Child: What day did you go
on holiday?
We focused on a few questions
connected to changing seasons
Developing the learning journey 1: Exploring Ice Activity
• Exploring how to freeze water and make ice. • Changing the colour of the water the day before
and placing the coloured water in the freezer over-night
• Children placing various small toys inside the ice and see what happened. Trying to free the toys.
Talking about changing seasons and weather changing had prompted children to begin to talk about ice and snow. We went into the garden and tried to find some ice which had naturally formed
The children were highly motivated and
engaged. Questioning each
other. I was trying to stand back and see which direction the children would take
the activity.
Child: We could use a spoon to make a hole in
the ice. Mine is starting to melt because
I'm taking the plastic off.
Adult: How can we free
the toys?
The children needed some initial direction and problems to solve. Once they were provided with
this they were able to work together thinking of new ideas
and sharing ideas and knowledge with each other.
While exploring ice and ‘freeing’ toys, children talked
about how difficult it is to break ice - this informed our
next activity and connected it to habitats
Developing the learning journey 2: Building igloos
The children were far more able to work together to
try to find a solution to the
problem
Activity: Building Igloos. The children were asked if they could make their own strong Igloos from ice.
Adult: What will make the ice
stick?
Child: We can try pushing
it.
Some of the children who were more reluctant on
previous tasks were more willing to join in and were internally questioning by
trying different methods to build with the ice.
Child: It is sticky!
Child: Let’s use this (rice) to stick it.
We can use glue
Many more children joined the task and suggested different materials to make the ice stick. Their attempts
to use different materials (e.g. rice) to make the ice stick informed our next activity
Developing the learning journey 3: Freezing Materials Activity: What else can we freeze? A selection of materials from the messy play box were put out and the children decided what they wanted to freeze.
The children thought that all the materials
would be ice, not understanding that
water makes the ice.
.
They were clearly able to think about which materials might
freeze more effectively , even selecting and asking for resources that were not
provided. I was careful not to interfere with the process and
stood back this meant the children were able to have their
own ideas and question what may happen without an adult
providing the answers.
Child: I think it will make ice. Child: We need
to make it cold. We can use the
freezer again The children had learnt from the
previous activities that the materials
needed to be cold.
Child: I want to do paint!
Let's do snow! It looks like
snow!
Adult: I wonder what we could
freeze?
Children made predictions and chose different materials and objects. They could not wait for the next day to see
the results
Developing the learning Journey 4: The Results
Child: If I blow on it it might
melt.
Activity: Exploring the results and melting the materials. We collected the trays from the freezer and investigated what we found. Seeing if and how we could
turn it back to its original state.
Child: This one didn't work
(shaving foam) it was too hot.
Child: It needs the sun to
melt.
I had noticed that by this point the
children needed far less adult suggestion and were asking questions of each other. They were also sharing their
own knowledge and working out solutions as a group. The children were
far more motivated and curious. Standing back more and modelling had started to allow them to ask their own
questions
Adult: What else could we
use to free the toys?
Child: We can use the hot water again. It will make it
runny.
Child: The seeds didn’t freeze, they are just cold.
Can we put them in again?
Reviewing learning across the project
• My aim was to develop children’s questioning and curiosity and provide the opportunities to develop thinking skills (Creative Dispositions) by allowing the children to participate in active investigations of their own choice (features of inquiry)
• I wanted the children to find ways to solve problems and think of new ideas, without adults providing the instant answers
Assessment for learning
Child 1: Became more motivated and
engaged.
Child 2: Became more confident and
the communication
increased.
Child 3: Levels of
curiosity and questioning
became higher.
Teacher role
• Less directive allowing the children to take a lead.
• Provided the basic knowledge and asked the children ‘I wonder…’
• Allow the children plenty of time
• Celebrate questioning and creativity by using the display boards.
Classroom Environment
• Easy access to Materials
• Freedom of movement in the area
• Rich variety of resources allowing independent access
Reflection Questions
• How can you promote questions in your own setting?
• How would you build on children’s interests?
• What is your role as the teacher?
Further Activities
• To provide a science exploration area
• Extend the creative science to the outdoors
• Create floor books with children before starting activities
Practical information
Resources Starting point - Paper and an area for a display
Learning activity 1 - Rubber gloves or balloons, Food colouring, Water, Scissors, Small toys, Freezer
Learning activity 2- Ice cube trays, Builders Tray, Freezer, Extra materials to choose from (rice, glue, etc.)
Learning activity 3 - Materials to freeze (shaving foam, paint, small toys, seeds, pasta, rice, liquid soap, bubble bath), Ice cube trays (containers the same size to freeze), Builders tray, Freezer
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CREATIVITY IN EARLY YEARS SCIENCE EDUCATION (2014-2017) WWW.CEYS-PROJECT.EU